Fields

by Junip

Overview

Fields, the debut album by Jose Gonzalez's band Junip, was nearly a decade in the making, and it sounds like it. Not because it's particularly elaborate -- actually, in many places, it's nearly as spare as Gonzalez's solo work -- but because the chemistry evident on these songs only comes with time. Gonzalez and his bandmates, keyboardist Tobias Winterkorn and drummer Elias Araya, began playing together in the late '90s. Though they went in different directions for several years, with Araya studying art and Winterkorn teaching and building a studio while Gonzalez made a name for himself as a solo singer/songwriter, Fields' simple, confident, surprisingly easy feel shows that Junip was never far from their minds. They sound like a real band, and Gonzalez is as much a team player here as the other two-thirds of the group; while "To the Grain" could have appeared on one of his own albums, most of these songs are fleshed out in their own unique way. "In Every Direction" kicks off the album with hypnotic beats and keyboards that have a much more rock feel than anything Gonzalez has done on his own, while "Tide" closes it with big drums and drones. In between are songs filled with interesting, but not showy, textures and ideas, from "Rope & Summit"'s acoustic Krautrock motorik to "Sweet & Bitter"'s distorted beats. "Howl" is another standout, futuristic folk-blues with percussion that sounds like an impromptu rhythm tapped on a water glass. Elsewhere, jazz and the repetition-based Ethiopian music Gonzalez grew up with make their presences felt, giving Fields a subtly exotic feel that sets a lingering mood. Indeed, mood sometimes overtakes songwriting, with tracks like "Without You" and "Off Point" focusing more on atmosphere than melody. Despite this, it's a real pleasure to hear Gonzalez thinking and playing bigger here with the help of his friends. Fields is intriguing in a low-key way that grows with repeated listening and will make Gonzalez fans into Junip fans. ~ Heather Phares

Product Details

Release Date:	09/14/2010
Label:	Mute
UPC:	0724596944813

Tracks

1. In Every Direction
2. Always
3. Rope & Summit
4. Without You
5. It's Alright
6. Howl
7. Sweet & Bitter
8. Don't Let it Pass
9. Off Point
10. To the Grain
11. Tide

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Junip   Primary Artist
Erik Bodin   Shaker,Tambourine
Mike Joyce   Percussion
Jose Gonzalez   Guitar,Vocals
Don Alstherberg   Bass,Piano,Percussion
Per Stahlberg   Guitar (Electric)
Elias Araya   Drums
Tobias Winterkorn   Keyboards
Joel Westberg   Percussion

Technical Credits

Jose Gonzalez   Composer,Group Member
Bruce Springsteen   Composer,Lyricist
Don Alstherberg   Mixing,Engineer,Producer,Mastering
Hans Olsson   Mastering
Fredrik Soederberg   Artwork
Elias Araya   Composer,Group Member
Tobias Winterkorn   Composer,Group Member
Junip   Composer,Engineer,Producer
Robert Samsonowitz   Design